as in clash
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
a small tussle on the basketball court was quickly broken up
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to wrestle
to seize and attempt to unbalance one another for the purpose of achieving physical mastery
puppies tussling with one another, rolling over and over on the carpet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of tussle
Karen Gilchrist,holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 12 Dec. 2024
Eyes are on boxer Claressa Shields thanks to a big screen biopic and an internet tussle with a rap star.
—Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 12 Dec. 2024
Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 5 Jan. 2025
That night, Ahn Gwi-ryeong, a spokesperson for the Democratic Party, tussled with a special-forces soldier outside the National Assembly.
—E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tussle 
Noun
The Swiss National Bank also cut rates by 50 basis points earlier in the session Thursday, exceeding expectations of a smaller trim amid an ongoing tussle with depressed inflation and a strong Swiss franc.
—Karen Gilchrist,holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 12 Dec. 2024
Eyes are on boxer Claressa Shields thanks to a big screen biopic and an internet tussle with a rap star.
—Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
Jennings was ejected in the second quarter after tussling in the end zone with Cardinals’ cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting, who also was disqualified for his actions.
—Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 5 Jan. 2025
That night, Ahn Gwi-ryeong, a spokesperson for the Democratic Party, tussled with a special-forces soldier outside the National Assembly.
—E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tussle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tussle
Noun
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Venus and Jupiter’s clash facilitates temporary compromises.—
USA TODAY,
USA TODAY,
14 Jan. 2025
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Israel’s populist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has largely avoided public clashes with the Israel Defense Force’s leadership, but politicians in his orbit have regularly attacked top officers as elites bent on subverting the will of the people.—
Ronald R. Krebs,
Foreign Affairs,
14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Incoming Trump officials are now wrestling with the logistics — to say nothing of the financial burden — of rounding up and removing that population size.—
Christopher White,
Baltimore Sun,
8 Jan. 2025
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City and state transportation planners have been wrestling with how to contain traffic, looking to public transit and densification — by encouraging more housing concentrated around bus and train hubs — so that workers don’t have to drive as much.—
Bruce Finley,
The Denver Post,
6 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The ugly scene on a suburban street was a harbinger of skirmishes to come.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Jan. 2025
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Houston teammates then ran in to defend their teammate, as well, leading to a skirmish that spilled out of bounds while Lawrence remained on the turf, still on his back, as medical personnel tended to him.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC News,
1 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Part 3: Hunter Biden to fight felony firearm charges in Delaware trial Judgment Day: Why 2024 rematch won’t be any old sequel Election Day was less than six months away, and voters had a familiar choice of Joe Biden and Donald Trump.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
9 Jan. 2025
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But TikTok has fought the law at every turn, arguing that the U.S. government is overstepping its bounds by attempting to regulate foreign ownership of a private company.—
Nik Popli,
TIME,
9 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Osbourne didn't share much about her treatment, but this update comes on the heels of her recent battle with a high fever over the holidays.—
Tommy Tuberville,
Newsweek,
9 Jan. 2025
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For the past two and a half years, the battle for the future of L.A.’s Fairfax Avenue corridor has been raging between economic powerhouses.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Interviewed two days later at the side of the Pacific Coast Highway, Edwards still bore the marks of the struggle.—
Will Carless,
USA TODAY,
12 Jan. 2025
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The average cost for a child’s diapers is about $1,200 a year, and half the families in the U.S. struggle to afford them, according to the National Diaper Bank Network.—
Michael Cuglietta,
Orlando Sentinel,
11 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near tussle
Cite this Entry
“Tussle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tussle. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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